TUMPAT: A man dressed in a jubbah (thobe) and wearing a kopiah (taqiyah) was apprehended while attempting to "fish" for money from a mosque donation box in Kampung Kubang Batang, here, last night.
He used an iron rod taped with an adhesive before inserting it into the box's slot, successfully retrieving several banknotes.
Through closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage at Masjid Ar-Rahman, the man was seen arriving around midnight before parking his car in the mosque's rear parking area.
Zulkifli Abdullah, 58, a committee member of the mosque, said the suspect then entered the mosque by prying open the locked door before approaching the donation box in the men's prayer area.
"The mosque's management fund has been stolen from many times. Every time we review the CCTV footage, it's the same person doing it at the same time. The last incident was just last week, so the mosque committee decided to prepare by waiting in the room with the CCTV monitor.
"Our expectations were accurate when we saw the same man seen in several previous incidents. We let him 'fish' with the iron rod taped with adhesive before capturing him," he said when met at the mosque today.
Zulkifli said the 34-year-old man tried to resist and had a brief scuffle when the mosque committee members tried to apprehend him, but he was successfully restrained before they contacted the police.
He mentioned that almost RM500 was taken from the box by the man, and based on the suspect's confession, he had successfully taken a similar amount in several previous thefts.
"He also mentioned that he had visited this mosque many times at night and got to know some members of the congregation, claiming to be present for Tahajjud prayers. The man resides in Melor, Kota Bharu, and during the scuffle, a considerable amount of cash, claimed to be business money, was found on him," he added.
Meanwhile, Tumpat District Police Chief, Assistant Commissioner Amran Dolah, confirmed receiving a report regarding the incident, and the case is being investigated under Section 380 of the Penal Code.